Thursday, September 6, 2018

Meet the Chef for Our FTF Dinner on 9/19!

Chef Bryan Sikora

A native of Ligonier in western Pennsylvania, Sikora garnered a stream of accolades over the past 15 years for his modern cuisine, which could be described as rustic and soulful, but imminently approachable. Bryan Sikora’s culinary career was sparked by his passion for food and art.In the early part of Bryan’s adventures, he attended the Culinary Institute of America.After graduation, driven by curiosity and a need to learn first-hand, he worked in cities across the country.His craft took him to Pittsburgh, Boulder, Denver, Chatham Massachusetts, Washington DC, and Portland, Oregon before settling in Philadelphia in 1997.He burst onto Philly's culinary scene with the mega-hit Django in Queen Village in 2000.Django was the first BYOB to earn a four bell review from the Philadelphia Inquirer food critic, Craig Laban. In 2004 He earned a Rising Star Award from Star Chefs and was awarded Best Chef in Philadelphia. In 2004 he sold the restaurant and moved to Unionville and opened Talula’s Table which quickly grew to national fame 2007 The New York Times took notice, “handsome, deceptively complex and masterfully executed,” likening the experience to a “spiritual retreat.” Talulas was featured in the New York Times Magazine. Saveur Magazine listed Taulas Table as a top 100 things to eat in the country. Talua’s earned much critical acclaim from food publications across the country. Chef Sikora made the difficult to decision to leave Talula’s Table due to divorce in 2010. After departing Talula’s Table, Chef Sikora returned to Philadelphia to open A. Kitchen in Rittenhouse Square.A. kitchen quickly earned a three bell review from the Inquirer and became a huge success. He still dreamed of owning his own restaurant and soon found an opportunity to become part of a resurgence of Wilmington, Delaware. In 2013, Bryan Sikora and his wife Andrea took downtown Wilmington by culinary storm. They opened La Fia eventually followed it up by opening Merchant Bar, an upscale gastro pub, and Cocino Lolo, a Latin and Mexican-infused restaurant. In 2017 Chef Sikora returned to Kennett Square. Sikora and his wife opened their fourth restaurant, Hearth Kitchen in its first few months was featured in Craig Laban’s suburban dining guide.Hearth won a Best of Main Line Award for Best Upscale Casual Restaurant.Hearth features Sikora’s wood fired pizza, hand crafted pastas, and seasonally inspired entrees. He utilizes local ingredients as much as possible. Bryan lives with his wife Andrea and children. Andrea is his partner in the restaurants as well as manager of daily operations and development.Bryan is an avid cyclist and a closet artist now working in oils when he has time.